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Alfred  V[.  Anthony 


The  Higher  Criticism 
in  the  Nei*J  Testament 


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LFRED  WILLIAMS  ANTHONY 

Professor  in  Cobb  Divinity  School 


PRIGE,   /O  GENTS 


THE 


Higher  Criticism 


IN   THE 


New  Testament 


BY 


ALFRED  WILLIAMS  'ANTHONY 
Professor  in  Cobb  Divinity  School 


BOSTON,  MASS.: 

Morning  Star  Publishing  House 

457  Shawmut  Avenue 


u 


Copyright,  1901,  by 

MORNING   STAR    PUBLISHING   HOUSE, 

457  Shawmut  Avenue, 

Boston,  Mass, 


NOTE 

This  address  was  delivered  before  the 
Pastors'  Union  of  Lewiston  and  Auburn 
and  is  now  printed  in  response  to  requests 
then  made. 

Lewiston,  Me.  A.  W.  A. 


THE  HIGHER  CRITICISM 


DEFINITION 

This  designation  is  unfortunate.  Neither 
member  of  the  term  is  free  from  objection. 
The  word  "  criticism  "  is  so  commonly  used 
to  indicate  fault-finding,  that  the  first  sug- 
gestion is  that  of  censure  and  destructive- 
ness.  And  the  word  *' higher"  carries  at 
the  outset  to  many  minds  the  assumption  of 
superiority,  if  not  of  arrogance.  But  the 
study  is  neither  destructive  nor  arrogant. 

The  better  designation  is  :  The  Histori- 
cal Method  of  Biblical  Study. 

The  name  "  Higher  Criticism  "  originated 
in  Germany.  There  it  is  used  in  distinction 
to  **  Lower  Criticism."  There  criticism  is 
thought  of  as  the  calm,  impartial  act  of 
judging.  The  Lower  Criticism  is  concerned 
wholly  with  the  task  of  determining,  among 
many  variations  in  reading,  what  is  the  cor- 
rect text  of  a  document.  It  seeks  nothing 
but  to  ascertain  from  a  comparison  of  manu- 
scripts the  correct  reading.     That  involves 


the  patient,  painstaking  task  of  examining, 
noting,  judging  each  word  and  each  letter 
and  each  mark.  That  is  Lower  Criticism. 
The  Higher  Criticism  is  of  no  greater  im- 
portance. It  simply  deals  with  questions 
of  a  wider  scope  and  broader  application. 
When  a  text  has  been  determined,  then  the 
Higher  Criticism  undertakes  to  answer  the 
questions  :  Who  wrote  it  ?  When  and 
where  did  he  write  ?  For  whom  did  he 
write  ?  What  is  his  meaning  and  message  ? 
and  subjects  of  a  similar  import. 

WHAT  IT  INVOLVES 

The  Higher  Criticism  includes  within  its 
province  the  following  subordinate  branches 
of  Biblical  study. 

I.     Canonicity. 

Canonicity  inquires  into  the  times,  pro- 
cesses, and  reasons  for  the  collection  into  a 
single  volume  of  the  books  which  we  know 
as  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment. When  were  the  thirty-nine  docu- 
ments in  the  Old  Testament  and  the  twenty- 
seven  in  the  New  Testament  brought  to- 
gether ?  Was  the  process  gradual  or  in- 
stantaneous }     By  what  authority  was  the 


inclusion  of  some  books  and  the  exclusion 
of  others  allowed  ?  What  were  the  reasons 
for  selection?  —  the  recognition  of  apostolic 
authorship  ?  or  the  perception  of  moral  and 
spiritual  excellence  ?  or  some  other  reason  ? 

Roman  Catholics  have  received  into  their 
canon  of  Scripture  certain  books  between 
the  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  which 
Protestants  term  apocryphal  and  do  not 
accept.  Which  is  right  ?  This  is  for  Higher 
Criticism  to  determine. 

Some  scholars  object  to  the  presence  in 
the  canon  of  some  books  now  acknowledged 
canonical  by  Protestants.  Martin  Luther 
called  the  Epistle  of  James  "  a  right  strawy  " 
epistle,  because  it  did  not  teach  Christ  to 
his  satisfaction.  Some  scholars  object  nota- 
bly to  the  Second  Epistle  of  Peter ;  others 
to  the  three  Pastoral  Epistles  of  Paul,  and 
others  raise  objections  to  the  Fourth  Gospel. 
These  are  problems  for  the  Higher  Criti- 
cism. 

II.     Introduction, 

The  term  ''Introduction,"  in  the  techni- 
cal sense  of  a  theological  discipline,  is  of 
German  importation.  It  applies  to  a  thor- 
ough-going investigation  of  all  that  needs  to 


8 


be  known  for  the  complete  understanding  of 
a  book.  It  is  not  superficial,  as  the  word  in 
the  popular  sense  might  imply.  It  includes 
a  treatment  of  the  following  subjects  : 

I.  The  genuineness  of  the  book.  Gen- 
uineness relates  to  authorship,  and  investi- 
gates the  question,  Did  the  person,  whose 
name  the  book  bears,  really  write  the  book  ? 
For  illustration  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
may  be  cited.  For  many  centuries  this  has 
been  ascribed  to  Paul ;  but  modern  scholars 
are  convinced  that  Paul  could  not  have 
written  it,  the  structure,  style,  and  teaching 
differ  so  widely  from  the  other  epistles  which 
were  undoubtedly  written  by  Paul.  Then, 
too,  it  is  found  that  the  Christians  of  the 
second  and  third  centuries  did  not  know 
surely  who  wrote  the  book.  Origen  de- 
clared, ''Who -wrote  the  book,  God  only 
knows." 

But  the  question  of  genuineness  is  dis- 
tinct from  the  question  of  canonicity. 
Whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Barnabas,  or 
Luke,  or  Clement,  or  some  unknown  person 
wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, — even  Pris- 
cilla,  as  recently  suggested  by  Professor 
Harnack, — it  remains  in  the  canon. 


2.  The.  author  of  the  book.  When  the 
authorship  has  been  determined,  then  the 
life  of  the  author  needs  to  be  known.  From 
his  ancestry,  his  training  and  education,  his 
social,  political,  and  religious  environment, 
facts  may  be  gleaned  which  will  explain  the 
meaning  of  the  author's  writing.  Paul's 
home  at  Tarsus,  his  tuition  at  the  feet  of 
Gamaliel,  his  strict  Phariseeism,  and  his 
firmly  inculcated  rabbinical  rules  of  reason- 
ing must  be  borne  in  mind  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  man  and  his  message. 

3.  The  date  and  place  of  composition. 
In  the  case  of  an  epistle  allusions  to  past 
movements  and  experiences  and  to  prospec- 
tive plans  cannot  be  understood  unless  the 
circumstances  are  known  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  author  writes.  Recognizing  that 
Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  from 
Corinth,  the  student  can  then  understand 
the  references  to  the  benevolence  of  "  them 
of  Macedonia  and  Achaia,"  and  the  apostle's 
purpose  to  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and  subse- 
quently visit  Rome  on  his  way  to  Spain. 
The  historical  setting  of  any  document  as- 
sists in  making  plain  its  meaning,  and  in 
some  instances  without  this  historical  set- 
ting the  meaning  is  wholly  lost. 


10 


4-  The  readers  of  the  book.  Most  au- 
thors address  a  definite  constituency.  Let- 
ter writers  particularly  have  in  mind  definite 
readers  in  specific  circumstances,  and  appeal 
to  clearly  recognized  conceptions  and  con- 
ditions. The  epistles  to  the  Corinthians 
and  to  the  Galatians  differ  widely  because 
the  persons  addressed  differ  widely.  When 
one  considers  that  the  Thessalonian  Chris- 
tians were  simple,  humble  folk  recently  con- 
verted from  heathenism,  one  will  be  kept 
from  the  ridiculous  folly  of  supposing  that 
in  writing  to  them  about  a  *'  man  of  sin," 
for  a  time  ''restrained"  and  then  to  ''be 
revealed,"  Paul  referred  to  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte, or  to  a  profligate  woman  apotheosized 
in  the  French  Revolution,  or  to  the  Pope,  or 
to  Martin  Luther  himself,  as  Roman  Catho- 
lics have  sometimes  maintained.  A  docu- 
ment is  framed,  usually,  within  the  scope 
of  the  readers'  comprehension. 

5.  An  analysis  of  the  contents  of  the 
book.  Under  the  head  of  Introduction  it  is 
legitimate  to  inquire  :  What  is  the  author 
writing  about  ?  What  is  his  object  in  writ- 
ing ?  What  peculiarities  of  style,  or  state- 
ment, or  teaching  does  he  indulge  in  ?     In 


II 


this  connection,  however,  the  investigation 
relates  chiefly  to  Hterary  form,  or  historical 
allusion. 

6.  A  historical  review  of  the  criticism  of 
the  book  is,  also,  frequently  presented  in 
works  on  Introduction.  The  science  of 
criticism  is  a  growth.  Slowly  have  its  prob- 
lems been  discovered,  and  still  more  slowly 
are  solutions  worked  out.  No  one  man  pro- 
fesses to  have  attained  the  final  goal.  He 
builds  on  others  ;  he  interprets  others  ;  often 
he  differs  from  others  ;  usually  he  acknowl- 
edges that  he  is  contributing,  though  but  a 
little,  to  the  opportunities  of  others  who 
will  accomplish  more  than  he.  And,  so,  he 
puts  his  work  in  line  with  what  has  been 
done  before  and  may  be  done  after  him. 

These  are  directions  in  which  the  histori- 
cal method  of  Biblical  study,  using  the  tech- 
nical department  of  Introduction,  makes  in- 
vestigations. 

III.     'Biblical  Theology. 

Many  Christians,  who  have  read  their 
Bibles  for  years,  do  not  know  that  differ- 
ences exist  within  the  compass  of  the  New 
Testament  books, — differences  in  conception, 
differences  in  doctrine,  and  differences  in  the 


12 


delineation  of  the  one  common  Lord,  the 
Christ.  But  the  differences  are  there,  and 
careful  scholarship  has  long  taken  note  of 
them.  Based  on  this  recognition  of  charac- 
teristic differences  in  the  point  of  view  and 
the  doctrinal  conclusions  of  the  writers  of 
the  New  Testament,  an  entirely  separate 
department  of  theological  learning  has  be- 
come known  in  recent  years,  the  depart- 
ment of  Biblical  Theology. 

We  are  familiar  with  Systematic  Theology 
and  Dogmatic  Theology.  We  do  not  always 
make  a  distinction  between  the  terms,  but  a 
distinction  properly  exists.  Systematic  The- 
ology takes  its  point  of  view  with  God, 
with  external,  outside  truth,  to  see  the  parts 
and  the  whole  in  mutual  relations  ;  it  em- 
ploys as  sources  all  knowledge,  both  from 
science  and  revelation.  Dogmatic  Theology 
uses  the  same  materials  but  takes  its  stand 
more  by  the  side  of  the  church,  to  vindicate 
and  justify  what  she  believes  and|proclaims  ; 
it  is  more  explanatory  and  apologetic ]Jn 
character. 

Biblical  Theology  resorts  wholly  to  the 
Bible,  not  to  cite  and  quote  specific  texts,  not 
with  any  assumption  that  the  Bible^  is  the 


13 


only  source  of  information  and  the  only 
court  of  appeal,  but  to  discover  what  it 
teaches  part  by  part,  book  by  book,  author 
by  author.  It  recognizes  personalities  ;  it 
acknowledges  distinctions,  individualities, 
peculiarities  both  of  men  and  periods  and 
circumstances  ;  it  gives  heed  to  times  of 
composition,  to  chronological  arrangements 
and  relations,  and  to  stages  of  development 
and  growth. 

Biblical  Theology  recognizes  distinct  types 
of  doctrine  and  teaching  within  the  compass 
of  the  two  Testaments,  and  speaks  confi- 
dently of  a  Pauline  theology  and  a  Johan- 
nine  theology,  and  of  '*  the  teaching  of  Je- 
sus" as  distinct  from  all. 

The  Higher  Criticism  has  prompted  the 
careful  scholarship  which  has  detected  these 
minute  yet  actual  differences. 

IV.     Comparative  Religion, 

The  historical  method  of  Biblical  study 
attemps  to  put  all  religions  into  their  proper 
relations.  Christianity  is  the  flower  of 
Judaism  ;  Jesus  was  the  Jewish  Messiah 
and  has  become  the  world's  Saviour.  But 
Judaism  was  not  an  isolated  faith,  as  many 
of  us  have  so  long  and  so  erroneously  sup- 


M 


posed.  The  history  of  Israel  was  not  cut 
off  from  all  other  history.  The  Hebrews 
were  a  small  people,  occupying  a  minor 
place  in  the  world's  commerce  and  politics, 
but  they  were  a  religious  people  ;  and  all 
about  them  were  greater  and  more  powerful 
peoples,  each  with  its  religion.  These 
great  peoples  and  these  powerful  religions 
influenced  Israel.  When  from  excavations 
and  explorations,  from  tablets  and  inscrip- 
tions, we  learn  what  the  Egyptians,  the  Hit- 
tites,  the  Phoenicians,  the  Assyrians,  the 
Babylonians,  and  the  Persians  believed  and 
taught  and  accomplished,  then  we  the  better 
know  the  origin,  the  meaning,  and  the  dis- 
tinctiveness of  Israel's  faith  and  Israel's 
Messiah. 

The  story  of  creation,  the  narrative  of 
the  flood,  accounts  of  Semitic  migrations 
and  movements  are  found  in  the  literature 
of  more  than  one  people  ;  to  understand  the 
story  in  one  we  must  know  it  in  all.  Then, 
too,  interpretation  must  often  wait  upon  this 
comparative  study  of  religion,  before  it  can 
intelligently  accomplish  its  tasks.  Notably 
is  this  necessary  in  such  subjects  as  demonol- 
ogy,  diabology,  angelology,  and  eschatology. 


15 


V.     Archeology. 

The  pick  and  the  spade  are  rendering 
great  service  to  the  critical  study  of  the 
Bible.  Centers  of  dense  population  and  of 
peculiar  associations  have  undergone  radical 
changes  during  the  lapse  of  centuries. 
While  the  peoples  and  the  customs  of  ori- 
ental countries  do  not  change  rapidly,  while 
the  mountains  and  the  valleys  in  most  in- 
stances remain  unaltered,  yet  cities  rise  and 
fall,  sites  of  towns  and  villages  disappear, 
buildings  crumble,  localities  are  abandoned, 
and  geography,  so  far  as  occupation  and  no- 
menclature are  concerned,  entirely  changes 
many  times  within  the  compass  of  twenty 
centuries. 

Jerusalem,  the  Holy  City,  does  not  exist 
as  in  David's  day,  nor  as  in  the  time  of 
Christ.  No  city  in  the  world  has  been  bat- 
tered by  seige  and  assault  more  than  this. 
Jesus  predicted  that  of  the  fair  stones  in  the 
temple  walls  not  one  would  be  left  upon 
another.  Within  forty  years  of  the  time 
when  the  words  were  spoken  the  city  was 
destroyed  by  the  Romans,  and  then  for 
half  a  century  was  given  over  to  bats  and 
beasts.     It  has  .been  rebuilt  and  repeatedly 


i6 


destroyed.  The  surface  of  the  ground  of 
Jesus'  day  is  in  some  places  fifty  feet  be- 
neath the  surface  to-day,  buried  by  the 
ruins  and  the  rubbish  of  the  centuries.  And 
in  a  similar  way  have  other  cities  suffered, 
while  some  of  them  have  never  been  rebuilt 
and  their  very  sites  are  totally  forgotten 
and  unknown. 

Patiently  the  explorer  and  excavator  pick 
up  clue  after  clue,  here  a  stone,  an  inscrip- 
tion, a  piece  of  pottery  ;  then  a  wall,  a  col- 
umn, a  corner ;  there  an  outline,  and  then  an 
entire  foundation  ;  and  at  length  we  learn 
the  location  of  towns  and  edifices,  and  are 
enabled  in  consequence  to  understand  the 
record  of  journeys  and  movements  and  bat- 
tles with  which  the  story  of  Scripture  is 
burdened. 

Most  of  these  archeological  enterprises  are 
inspired  by  the  Higher  Criticism,  and  the 
results  are  seized,  systematized,  and  assimi- 
lated by  that  same  Higher  Criticism  for  the 
historical  understanding  and  the  historical 
interpretation  of  the  Bible. 


17 

DOCTRINES     AFFECTED      BY     THE     HIGHER 

CRITICISM 

I.     The  Inspiration  of  Scripture. 

I  think  it  fair  to  say  plainly  that  under  the 
influence  of  the  historical  method  of  Bibli- 
cal study  the  old  extravagant  doctrine  of 
inspiration  has  gone,  never  to  return.  So 
soon  as  we  inquire  respecting  the  author  of 
a  book  of  the  Bible,  his  nativity,  his  educa- 
tion, his  theological  conceptions,  or  any  of 
his  peculiarities  and  idiosyncrasies,  we  have 
necessarily  abandoned  the  view  that  God  is 
the  only,  or  even  the  responsible,  author  of 
the  book  ;  we  recognize  the  fact  that  a  man 
wrote  it  and  that  in  writing  it  his  human 
qualities  were  not  extinguished  or  held  in 
abeyance.  We  treat  the  book  as  a  human 
document ;  we  study  it  as  we  study  other 
human  documents ;  we  subject  it  to  the 
same  literary  and  historical  tests  which  we 
apply  to  other  books.  Our  historical  method 
is  really  a  study  of  the  human  element, — 
not  of  the  divine, — and  a  recognition  that  the 
human  element  persists. 

And  yet  the  Higher  Criticism  recognizes 
inspiration.  It  is  only  the  old  theory  of 
mechanical  inspiration  which   is  shattered. 


i8 


Scripture,  when  compared  with  other  books, 
is  found  to  rise  incomparably  superior  to 
them  all ;  when  tested  as  other  books  are 
tested,  it  reveals  qualities  which  they,  do 
not  possess  ;  when  the  human  element  alone 
is  studied,  yet  there  remains  a  residuum 
which  is  not  found  in  other  writings  ;  when 
subjected  to  the  regimen  of  the  historical 
discipline,  its  permanent  and,  1  may  say, 
almost  eternal  qualities  appear. 

Though  Inspiration  be  recognized  as  exist- 
ing, yet  the  difficulty  of  defining  it  remains. 
Higher  Criticism  does  not  define  Inspiration 
categorically  ;  it  defines  it  only  descriptively. 
That  deo^ree  of  difference  which  marks  the 
Bible  off  from  other  books,  that  is  Inspira- 
tion ;  that  overplus  of  excellence,  of  power, 
of  ethical  and  spiritual  import,  thai  is  Inspi- 
ration. 

Such  a  definition  will  not  satisfy  many 
people ;  but  this,  I  think,  is  all  that  the 
Higher  Criticism  is  at  present  prepared  to 
give.  The  critics  themselves  are  not  satis- 
fied. They  recognize  the  inadequacy,  but 
up  to  the  present  time  they  have  arrived  at 
no  unanimity  of  definition.     Upon  this  task 


19 


they  still  are  working,  trying  to  so  limit  the 
term  as  to  be  inclusive  of,  and  consistent 
with,  all  the  known  facts. 

11.     The  Inerrancy  of  Scripture. 

In  the  past,  antagonists  have  contended 
bitterly  respecting  the  errancy  or  inerrancy 
of  Scripture.  With  the  Higher  Critics  there 
is  no  such  controversy.  They  confess  at 
once  that  there  are  many  inaccuracies  of 
statement  in  the  Bible. 

According  to  the  best  text,  Mark  begins 
his  Gospel  with  a  quotation  from,  as  he  says, 
the  Prophet  Isaiah,—**  as  it  is  written  in  the 
prophet  Isaiah," — but  the  first  third  of  his 
quotation  is  from  Malachi  and  not  from 
Isaiah  at  all  ;  the  remaining  two-thirds  are 
from  Isaiah.  Matthew  states  that  the  Holy 
Family,  returning  from  Egypt,  went  and 
lived  in  Nazareth,  "that  it  might  be  ful- 
filled which  was  spoken  by  the  prophets, 
that  he  should  be  called  a  Nazarene."  But 
there  is  no  place  in  any  prophet,  so  far  as 
known  to  us,  where  this  was  spoken.  Luke 
refers  to  the  enrolment,  which  took  place  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  Jesus,  as  taking 
place  when  Quirinius  was  governor  of  Syria* 
But  according  to  secular  annalists  Quirinius 


20 


was  governor  ten  years  later.  Which  is 
right,  Luke,  unsupported,  or  the  other  au- 
thorities ? 

It  is  not  needful  to  multiply  instances. 
The  difficulty  of  reconciling  statements 
and  of  harmonizing  parallel  passages  has 
been  long  recognized  and  is  at  length  frankly 
acknowledged.  But  with  this  acknowledg- 
ment the  Higher  Criticism  has  but  the  more 
•obviously  emphasized  the  distinctive  char- 
acter of  the  Bible :  it  is  not  a  text-book  on 
science,  nor  a  treatise  on  grammatical  and 
rhetorical  precision  ;  it  is  not  characterized 
with  mathematical  and  statistical  concise- 
ness nor  inflexible  accuracy  ;  it  is  a  book 
of  religious  revelation,  with  a  message  of 
ethical  and  spiritual  warning  and  appeal. 
Men  need  not  go  to  it  for  their  science,  their 
history,  their  politics,  nor  their  literature, 
— though,  within  proper  limits,  they  may  find 
something  of  all, — but  they  must  go  to  it 
alone  for  instruction  in  religious  faith  and 
practice,  an  instruction  to  be  drawn  from  the 
ethical  and  spiritual  qualities  of  the  record 
which  will  speak  to  their  souls. 


21 


III.  The  Seat  of  Authority  in  Religion  has 
been  Shifted. 

Three  sources  of  authority  in  religion 
have  usually  been  recognized  :  the  Church, 
the  Bible,  and  Reason.  Protestants  have 
accepted  the  second,  for  three  obvious  con- 
siderations : 

1 .  They  thought  this  was  Martin  Luther's 
conclusion.  But  in  this  they  were  mistaken. 
Luther,  while  not  professing  the  Higher 
Criticism,  was  nevertheless  an  independent 
critic.  He  did  not  accept  all  of  the  books 
of  the  Bible,  nor  all  of  the  statements  of  the 
Bible  as  binding  upon  him  or  upon  the 
church  which  he  would  lead  out  to  liberty. 
He  knew  there  were  laws  of  life  and  con- 
science greater  than  mere  statement.  By 
these  laws  he  would  test  the  letter.  If  the 
letter  and  the  statement  did  not  reveal  to 
him  Christ,  he  argued  that  they  belonged  to 
some  past  time  and  were  not  for  him.  So 
reason,  back  of  the  Bible,  tested  the  Bible 
and  was  the  ultimate  authority  for  him. 

2.  In  the  reaction  from  an  infallible  pope 
the  pendulum  swung  naturally  enough  to 
another  extreme,  that  of  an  infallible  book. 
But-reactions  are  always  liable  to  exaggera- 


22 


tion.  To  make  a  book,  which  is  the  prod- 
uct of  men,  infallible,  is  but  to  shift  the 
dogma  of  infallibility  back  to  those  men 
who  wrote  the  book. 

3.  Without  the  study  which  has  now 
been  put  upon  the  Bible  the  former  theory 
of  inspiration  held,  and  with  this  theory  it 
was  but  logical  to  exalt  the  phrase  to  the 
throne  of  authority,  it  was  not  then  seen, 
as  history  has  since  proven,  that  this  could 
be  but  a  theory  merely  and  never  be  real- 
ized in  practice.  The  experience  of  Prot- 
estantism, divided  into  its  many  sects,  amply 
proves  that  the  Bible  is  not  an  authority, 
however  much  revered,  for  men  interpret 
for  themselves  and  think  for  themselves, 
and  thereby  make  ttieir  own  reason  the 
source  of  appeal  in  determining  what  the 
Bible  says. 

The  Higher  Criticism  consistently  recog- 
nizes the  supremacy  of  Reason.  It  does 
not  surrender  to  Rationalism, — that  would 
be  to  deny  the  supernatural  and  the  mirac- 
ulous,— but  it  affirms  that  all  these  declara- 
tions and  claims  concerning  supernatural 
occurrences  must  be  investigated  by  histori- 
cal tests  in  an  open-minded,  judicial  spirit. 


23 


But  when  called  upon  to  pronounce  finally 
upon  authority,  it  is  perplexed  whether  to 
make  private  judgment  the  sole  authority, 
or  that  judgment  confirmed  by  the  common 
opinion  of  others,  or  the  consensus  of  Chris- 
tian scholarship,  which  sometimes  is  prop- 
erly called  ''the  Christian  Consciousness." 
But  in  some  form,  Reason  more  and  more 
is  recognized,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Higher  Criticism,  as  occupying  the  authori- 
tative place  in  the  final  court  of  appeal. 

THE   GAINS   RESULTING    FROM    THE   HIGHER 

CRITICISM. 

In  the  midst  of  the  transitions  involved  in 
this  method  of  study,  to  many  observers 
losses  alone  appear.  But  there  are  gains 
no  less  real,  among  which  I  name  the  fol- 
lowing : 

I.     Reverence  for  Fact. 

Mere  opinion,  whether  it  be  the  hasty 
conclusions  of  unenlightened  ignorance  or 
the  declarations  of  a  reverent  and  venera- 
ble antiquity,  is  no  longer  accepted  with  cre- 
dence. Men  seek  fact  as  an  aid  and  guide 
to  truth.  This  is  the  present  animus  and 
motive   of  the   entire   historical  method   of 


24 


study.  So  soon  as  the  facts  have  been  as- 
certained, then  men  are  ready  to  rewrite 
their  books  and  reconstruct  their  theologies. 

When  haste  is  carefully  guarded  against, 
when  crude  conclusions  are  sedulously 
avoided,  when  indeed  the  facts  have  fully 
and  finally  been  ascertained,  then  surely 
allegiance  to  facts,  hearty  and  complete,  is 
the  bounden  duty  of  every  intelligent  and 
conscientious  man. 

The  Higher  Criticism  by  its  very  genius 
is  developing  this  reverence  for  fact.  I 
make  the  statement,  although  aware  that 
one  school  of  theological  thought  to-day, 
known  as  the  Ritschlian, — itself  including 
many  of  the  most  eminent  Higher  Critics, — 
yet  teaches  its  disciples  to  be  content  with 
subjective  impressions  and  experiences,  de- 
claring, in  substance,  ''  We  know  things 
not  as  they  are  in  themselves,  but  as  they 
are  for  us."  This  school  of  thought,  how- 
ever, while  attractive  to  many,  who  find  the 
search  for  truth  baffling,  does  not  represent 
the  legitimate  result  of  the  historical  method 
of  Bible  study.  That  method,  however 
much  perplexed  and  baffled,  nevertheless 
logically   and    consistently    points    to    and 


25 


prophesies  of  the  goal,  the  ascertainment 
of  fact,  and  the  recognition  of  truth. 

11.     7he  Doctrine  of  the  Immanence  of  God. 

The  historical  method  of  Biblical  study 
emphasizes  the  doctrine,  set  in  motion  by 
modern  evolutionary  science  as  accepted  by 
theists,  that  God  is  now  and  always  has 
been  actually  present  in  the  world,  by  his 
presence  and  power  sustaining  all  things  that 
exist. 

The  Higher  Criticism  in  its  legitimate  con- 
clusions declares  that  as  God  has  been  in 
relation  to  men  so  is  he  to-day  ;  that  we 
may  understand  the  present  by  the  past, 
and  likewise  interpret  past  processes  and 
experiences  through  an  understanding  of 
the  processes  and  experiences  of  to-day  ; 
that  revelation  has  not  ceased  ;  that  God 
is  still  near  his  people  seeking  to  guide, 
enlighten,  and  bless.  In  past  times  he  may 
have  used  kindergarten  methods, — though 
this  is  the  question  for  historical  investiga- 
tion and  testing,  whether  his  methods  varied, 
or  the  people  then  were  but  kindergarten 
pupils  with  the  comprehension  which  would 
objectify  and  externalize  the  more  spiritual 
methods  which  we  to-day  observe. 


26 


God  is  with  us  to-day;  God's  methods 
are  uniform  and  consistent :  this  is  one  of 
the  conclusions  of  the  Higher  Criticism. 

III.  The  Fact  of  Development  among  God's 
People  is  Taught  by  the  Higher  Criticism. 

In  this  modern  spirit  a  man  may  write  of 
"  the  spiritual  development  of  Paul."  We 
recognize  that  the  apostles  grew,  expanded, 
unfolded  under  the  influence  of  their  Master, 
and  after  his  departure,  by  frequent  accre- 
tions, became  at  length  transformed  from 
narrow,  provincial  Jews  into  conscious  lov- 
ers of  the  race,  into  reformers  and  propa- 
gandists whose  stage  of  action  was  the 
world. 

We  have  long  seen  obviously  that  there 
was  a  vast  progress  in  doctrine  and  spirit 
among  the  Jews  from  the  time  of  Moses 
until  the  time  of  the  later  prophets,  and  a 
still  greater  difference  between  the  religious 
conceptions  of  the  Old  Testament  and  those 
of  the  New,  but  now  we  are  prepared  to 
behold  this  process  of  development  in  finer 
details,  in  limited  periods,  in  individuals, 
and,  also,  continuing  consecutively  from 
Biblical  times  down  to  our  own  day. 

There  may  be  a  danger  in  applying  the 


27 

principle  too  rigidly,  men  may  err  in  think- 
ing the  evolutionary  principle  will  prevail 
without  any  manifestations  of  extraordinary 
power  and  advancement,  but  yet  the  recog- 
nition of  the  principle  is  a  gain  for  the  proper 
understanding  of  God's  dealings  with  men, 
both  in  the  past  and  the  present  day. 

IV.  To  speak  now  of  the  modijied  view 
of  the  supernatural,  which  the  Higher  Criti- 
cism has  introduced,  is  not  to  name  a  dis- 
tinct gain,  so  much  as  one  already  involved. 
A  recognition  of  the  divine  presence  amongst 
men  is  a  recognition  that  the  supernatural  is 
so  near  at  hand  that  those  occurrences 
which  we  account  natural  are  really  mani- 
festations of  the  supernatural  ;  the  natural 
and  the  supernatural  tend  to  blend.  If  the 
supernatural  be  reduced  to  the  level  of  the 
natural,  then,  too,  is  the  natural  elevated  to 
the  level  of  the  supernatural ;  the  two  be- 
come one. 

Even  if  some  of  those  experiences  of  the 
race  which  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
calling  "miracles"  be  explained  upon  a 
naturalistic  basis,  still  will  there  be  gain, 
for  God,  in  whom  we  must  believe,  will  be 
but  the  more  naturally  present  with  us. 


2^ 


V.     The  Incomparahleness  of  Christ. 

Under  the  light  of  modern  study  and 
research  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  his 
teaching  and  his  life,  have  been  examined  as 
never  before.  He  has  been  compared  with 
all  religious  teachers  and  reformers.  His 
words  have  been  weighed  beside  those  of 
Confucius  and  Buddha  and  Zoroaster.  His 
influence  has  been  measured  with  that  of 
Moses  and  Mahomet.  His  system  of  truth 
has  been  tested  almost  word  by  word  with 
the  philosophies,  of  Greece  and  Germany. 
But  in  all  of  these  comparisons  and  investi- 
gations Jesus  and  the  religion  which  he  so 
simply  enunciated  stand  forth  supreme,  un- 
approached. 

Perhaps  in  some  quarters,  under  the  im- 
pulse and  inspiration  of  the  Higher  Criti- 
cism, the  deity  of  Christ  has  been  some- 
what impaired, — it  has  not  in  my  mind ;  I 
mention  it  for  the  sake  of  fairness, — but 
even  in  those  quarters  the  incomparable 
character  of  Jesus  Christ  as  man  and  teacher 
remains  unchallenged.  The  Higher  Criti- 
cism but  makes  the  uniqueness  of  Christ 
more  apparent  than   ever   before.     And  to 


29 


this  conclusion  the  scholarship  of  the  world 
renders  a  verdict  intelligent,  because  of  its 
research. 

VI.  A  Unity  of  the  Church  which  is  Ap- 
proaching through  a  Unity  of  Scholarship. 

The  Higher  Critics  become  impatient 
sometimes  with  those  who,  though  ignorant 
of  their  methods  and  spirit,  yet  denounce 
them,  but  toward  each  other  these  same 
critics  are  courteous,  patient,  and  teachable. 
They  will  listen  to  any  one  who  has  used 
the  historical  method  and  can  furnish  even  a 
fragment  of  information  or  of  explanation. 
Such  men  are  found  now  in  increasing  num- 
bers in  every  land  and  in  every  church. 
They  constitute  a  kind  of  brotherhood  of 
sympathy  and  respect. 

No  scholarly  man  to-day — scarcely  an 
intelligent  man — counts  that  he  or  the 
denomination  with  which  he  is  connected 
has  attained  to  the  entire  body  of  truth  ; 
other  men  and  other  denominations  have  at 
least  a  part ;  and  all  are  ready  to  learn  of 
the  others.  This  in  fact  is  the  spirit  of  the 
historical  method  carried  from  the  study  of 
problems  past  into  a  recognition  of  problems 
and  conditions  present.    Truth  is^now  known 


30 


to  be  too  large  to  fit  into  a  single  phrase,  or 
to  be  framed  within  the  compass  of  a  single 
creed.  With  this  method,  yet  without  final 
formulated  conclusions  and  without  an  or- 
ganization, there  exists  in  every  communion 
members  of  this  universal  brotherhood — 
the  order  of  the  Higher  Criticism. 


And  what  now  shall  be  said  of  those 
critics  who,  employing  the  same  methods, 
destroy  the  foundations  of  faith  and  over- 
throw structures  of  conviction  and  confi- 
dence most  precious,  with  nothing  to  offer 
for  the  places  thus  devastated  ?  There  are 
such.  But  there  are  always  persons  who 
use  the  most  serviceable  instrument  for 
harm  and  hurt.  Such  persons  must  not  be 
allowed  to  bring  discredit  upon  those  who 
act  wisely  and  render  valuable  service  to 
men.  The  method  may  be  abused  but, 
despite  wrong  use  and  still  worse  misunder- 
standings and  misrepresentations,  it  has 
vindicated  its  value  by  its  contributions 
already  made  to  vital  faith  and  vital  piety. 
While  it  may  reconstruct,  it  also  establishes 
and  defends. 


Date  Due 

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